Rehabilitation of deportees

Tonga asks Australia, NZ to rehabilitate deportees to help with local drug problems

Samiu Vaipulu says that includes getting countries like Australia to rehabilitate convicted criminals before they're deported to Pacific island countries like his.

Tonga's Speaker had tried to introduce the death penalty for certain drugs offences, to crack down on drug traffickers in the Kingdom.

Concerns continue to mount that Tonga is facing a local crisis, with a growing number of people, including children, becoming addicted to illegal substances.